From the Inside Out: Making Safety Culture Visible to the Public
An organization’s safety culture shouldn’t stop at the employee entrance.
If you truly live your values, safety isn’t just a checklist for your staff—it’s something your customers, passengers, and guests can see, hear, and feel the moment they walk in the door.
When the public can clearly see safety in action, it builds trust. When they sense it’s just for show, it erodes confidence. The challenge for airports and other public-facing organizations is to make safety culture tangible and consistent—not just words on paper or “window dressing” for audits.
Start at Home: Strengthen the Internal Culture First
Before you project safety culture outward, get your own house in order. Staff must believe in it, live it, and demonstrate it daily.
Toronto Pearson International Airport’s “I Am Toronto Pearson” movement is a good example. It brought together more than 400 companies and 50,000 workers under a single mindset: “How can I help?” The campaign empowered front-line employees—whether they worked for the airport, an airline, security, or retail—to take initiative and help passengers without waiting for instructions.
The result? A visible, helpful, safety-conscious workforce that passengers noticed immediately—and higher guest satisfaction scores in the process. One measurable outcome was an increase in the “Courtesy and Helpfulness” rating from 4.13 to 4.49 out of 5. This shows that when your staff genuinely live safety and service values, the public sees it.
Turn the Lens Outward
Once you’ve built internal strength, the next step is to translate it for your guests.
Ways to communicate safety culture publicly:
Physical signage and visuals – Make your safety messages clear, specific, and actionable. Las Vegas’s Harry Reid International Airport recently rolled out a rideshare safety program called SAMI: Stop, Ask “What’s my name?”, Match the car, Inform a friend. Bright signs and placards at rideshare pickup areas give travelers a quick checklist to protect themselves from fake drivers—right at the point they need the reminder most.
Social media and online presence – Use your platforms to show real safety actions, not just slogans. The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) runs ongoing campaigns on LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube, such as “Cabin Safety: Make Safety Your Priority”. These posts include videos, infographics, and tips for passengers—from why you should keep your seatbelt fastened to how to stow baggage safely.
Friendly reporting tools – Invite the public to be part of the process. CAAS’s “Tell Sarah” program is a hazard reporting system that uses a friendly, approachable name and simple online form. While designed primarily for aviation workers, the branding and ease of use signal to everyone that reporting safety concerns is welcome, not burdensome.
Consistent branding – Develop a recognizable theme so people instantly know it’s part of your safety program. Whether it’s “Be Safe”, “Make Safety Your Priority”, or “I Am Toronto Pearson”, a simple, memorable brand ties together signage, social media, and verbal messaging into a cohesive experience.
People Make it Real
The most powerful way to show the public your safety culture is through your people.
Visible safe behaviours – Have staff follow safety protocols where guests can see it: wearing PPE, using equipment correctly, double-checking procedures.
Proactive assistance – Train staff to offer help before it’s asked for, and to explain why certain safety steps matter. For example, a security officer might not only ask a passenger to remove a laptop from a bag, but explain that this helps keep screening safe and efficient.
Cross-organization consistency – In many public venues, multiple companies operate side-by-side. Align everyone—security contractors, retail tenants, government staff—so they’re delivering the same safety messages in the same way.
Empowerment to speak up – Give staff permission to intervene if they see unsafe situations. A ground crew member who delays boarding to address a hazard sends a strong message to onlookers that safety comes before schedules.
Invite the Public to Participate
Safety culture is stronger when the public is engaged as partners, not passive observers.
Clear actions – The SAMI checklist in Las Vegas is a great example. Passengers are given a simple, memorable way to protect themselves. No guesswork—just four steps to follow.
Education through tips – CAAS’s passenger campaigns often focus on simple behaviors, like fastening seatbelts, keeping window shades open for visibility, or listening to crew briefings. They explain why each step matters, increasing compliance.
Easy feedback – Make hazard reporting accessible to guests. This could be a QR code on a sign reading “See something unsafe? Let us know” or an app feature. And when guests do speak up, act quickly and visibly so they see the result of their input.
Make it Sustainable
Avoid one-off campaigns that lose steam. Public-facing safety culture should be built into daily operations.
Leadership visibility – Leaders should regularly participate in safety walkabouts and briefings, reinforcing that safety is a standing priority.
Recognition and celebration – Publicly acknowledge staff or even guests who take meaningful safety actions. American Airlines’ Safety Champion program rewards employees who identify hazards or lead safety improvements—publicizing these stories inspires others.
Message refresh – Rotate campaigns to avoid safety fatigue. Toronto Pearson evolved “I Am Toronto Pearson” over time with new tactics, keeping engagement high.
Measure and adapt – Track safety metrics, survey passengers, and gather incident data to assess what’s working. If a message isn’t resonating, adapt it.
Bottom line: When you have a genuine safety culture internally, turning it outward becomes natural. The public sees that safety isn’t a temporary initiative—it’s part of your DNA. And when they see it, they’re more likely to believe it, trust it, and join in keeping themselves and others safe.
If you want to create a public-facing safety culture that’s authentic, sustainable, and makes a real impact, Acclivix can help. With experience developing and implementing safety programs at airports large and small, we’d love to help your organization by designing strategies that fit your unique operations and strengthen culture from the inside out.
Let’s start the conversation. Contact us today.